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Builder shot dead in broad daylight in city

The car of builder Sharad Kumar Gauchan who was shot dead on Monday afternoon, at Prayag Chowk in Kathmandu. POST PHOTO: KESHAV THAPA

Two persons open fire on Sharad Gauchan, president of Federation of Contractors’ Associations of Nepal, and flee the scene

Oct 10, 2017-A builder was shot dead in broad daylight in the heart of the Capital on Monday.

According to DSP Ravi Kumar Paudel, chief of Metropolitan Police Circle, Baneshwor, Sharad Kumar Gauchan, president of the Federation of Contractors’ Associations of Nepal (FCAN), was shot dead at Om Shanti Chowk of Shantinagar at around 3:15pm.

Gauchan died while his driver was rushing him to the Minbhawan-based Civil Hospital.

“Gauchan had no pulse when he was brought to the hospital. He had sustained three bullets: one in heart, one in liver and one had pierced through his abdomen,” said Bimal Thapa, acting director of Civil Hospital.

According to an eyewitness, Gauchan was shot while he was heading to the FCAN office in Anamnagar via Prayag Marga in his Toyota Land Cruiser Prado (Ba 13 Cha 4948). The incident site is 50 metres from his residence in Shantinagar, said police.

“Just when the car approached, a person on the right side of the road threw a brick that hit the windshield. As the driver stopped the vehicle, another person opened fire on Gauchan who was sitting next to the driver,” said the eyewitness, adding that the assailants in pink T-shirts were wearing helmets and that they fled on a motorbike that was parked nearby.

Tension ran high around the hospital area in Minbhawan after the incident, as family members, relatives and construction entrepreneurs shouted slogans against Home Minister Janardan Sharma. They also blocked the Maitighar-Tinkune road section demanding immediate arrest of the perpetrators.

AIG Jay Bahadur Chand said in the evening that three persons had been arrested from the Manmaiju area of Kathmandu. The arrestees were identified as Tsering Tamang, Sanjay Tamang and Dilip Tamang—all residents of Rosi Rural Municipality of Kavre. Police also recovered three rounds of bullets and a handmade pistol from the arrestees.

“Extortion could be the reason behind the murder. However, we are yet to ascertain the motive,” said AIG Chand.

Gauchan was proprietor of Danfe Construction Company Pvt Ltd which constructed the buildings of Kathmandu District Court and Rastriya Nachghar among others.

He was elected FCAN president for three years in December 2014.

Ramesh Sharma, ex-president of FCAN, said he was unaware of any threats to Gauchan.

Originally from Mustang, Gauchan had moved to Pokhara with his family before coming to Kathmandu.

Gauchan is survived by his mother, wife, two daughters and a son.

The Confederation of Nepalese Industries (CNI) and the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) in separate press statements have condemned Gauchan’s killing and demanded immediate action against those involved in the incident and security to business fraternity.

“This incident has occurred in broad daylight in Kathmandu, which should be the safest place in the country. The incident has unleashed terrors among the entire business community,” said Pashupati Murarka, immediate past president of the FNCCI.

Earlier, a Supreme Court justice Rana Bahadur Bam was shot dead in May 2012 near the UN Park on the bank of Bagmati River while he was being driven to work from the Banglamukhi temple during morning rush hour.

Two years before that, in February 2010, media entrepreneur Jamim Shah was shot dead in Lazimpat in broad daylight

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